A new way of life
by CullenLover062
Summary: Bella grew up as an Outcast, when her father dies and is saved by Edward she must learn to survive in a new kind of lifestyle and survive the charm of Edward himself.
1. Left Alone

**BPOV**

I lay across my father's body and wept, he had managed to go from healthy to death in a mere 4 days, and now my mother and I would follow also. My mother sat on a kitchen chair completely oblivious to the world around her. At marriage 25 years ago she had bound her soul to my father's like every bride does and now would wither away within 3-4 days leaving me all on my own.

Standing up I washed the dried in tears off my face in the basin and with shaking hands picked up my father's spear. Kneeling before my mother I kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair,

"I'll be back soon" I whispered but her face showed no recognition of my presence "I love you"

Walking out of the room I closed the front door behind me and tried to work out what to do.

Now it would be my job to feed myself, this wasn't how it was supposed to happen, the world was supposed to have changed by now and I be happily married before my father passed, leaving me with a fine husband to look after me. I don't know how to hunt and I don't know how to keep myself alive in this messed up world.

I began my hunt through the wood, stepping gingerly over branches and attempting to see any hint of movement or sound around me. The hunt seemed pointless though as my heart was still back with my withering mother and my soul somewhat stunned from the loss of my father. After an hour or so I heard the unforgiving sound of the city hunters whooping and cheering not far from me and the ominous crunch of forest ground as they kept a steady pace running in my direction. I had not kept to the correct path and must have wandered into the cities part of the forest.

Casting my eyes around I found a large gap in one of the trees and climbing in side I closed my eyes and prayed that the goblin who owned this tree had only just left and I would have time to escape before he came home.

I did not know what I would do now; my family had lived as one of the out casted families, living constantly in fear of being found, rebels of the system. We moved to a new home every year so as not to be found but I would be unable to build a new home without my father's strength or claws.

I could not return to the city as an outcast for I would be hung for sure, yet I knew nothing of the system that I had escaped as a babe in arms with my parents 23 years ago. It was not something we spoke about often and when we did my mother would weep and my father would... well there is no point in dwelling on his previous annoyances as I would happily trade anything now to hear him rant about the stupidity of it all now.

I was drawn out of my thoughts by the trampling of hunters as they stopped in the clearing. They cannot possibly be very close or surely the mumblings I can hear now would come across as words I can hear, I could feel it building inside me, that feeling that had got me into trouble so many times and I wondered how long I could resist it for, perhaps this is why my parents ran in the first place, the curiousness that build inside me as the distant murmurs continued. What did they look like I wondered, I had seen my father a product of the city and of their kind but I also knew he was shorter than most, kept his claws filed down and has escaped before he had any more markings on his body.

I couldn't take it anymore, I was at my breaking point, how could they test my curiousness so much by remaining here for so long. Crouching down I peeking out of the gap in the tree and was confronted by what I could never have possibly believed only a matter of feet away from me. Ducking my head back in, I panicked as fear racked my body as the tones of their murmuring became sharper. Closing my eyes I held my hand over my mouth to still the ragged sobs that attempted to escape my body. Why, why was I such an idiot? A clawed hand stuck itself through the hole and began to feel around inside, It's thumb was roughly the same thickness as my wrist with its fingers only slightly smaller and it's claws stretched out at a length of around 20-30cm. Pinning myself to the back of the inside of the tree I couldn't get enough distance and one of its claws dragged its way up my arm and I only just managed to stop the noise that tried to erupt from me. Then the claw retreated and I heard more murmuring outside.

The noise seemed to die away and for a split second I thought that perhaps I had gotten lucky and had managed to escape the entire ordeal with only a damaged arm but before I could breathe a sigh of relief, the tree just above my head ripped in half and the seven or eight huge men of at least eight foot covered head to toe in tattoos peered down on me.

One of them reached towards me just as I blacked out.

* * *

I had awoken in a large wooden crate/cage and after throwing myself at the sides a few times I crumpled to the ground. The room was mostly pitch black with odd spurts of light coming from gaps high up above me in the walls. As my eyes adjusted to the light I found I was not alone but accompanied by 7 other crates with other people or things inside. 3 held other people like my father, lacking any sense of height or claws although all the men had a tattoo similar to my father's on their wrist. Another 3 held large men the likes of which had caught me but they had had their claws filed down to stumps.

The final one, the one next to mine held the only awake person in the room and he was staring at me. I could not work out what he was, for he seemed to be around 6 or 7 feet in height with tanned skin, but had hands and legs the same thickness of a regular human but long claws came out the end of his fingers and he was dressed in formal waistcoat, jacket and pants with a flat cap on his head.

"Boy, you've got yourself in a whole heap of trouble haven't you" he said smirking at me.

I didn't reply.

"I'm Jasper, but I'm only here for the night, where this is likely to be your last night my friend."

"I'm not your friend" I spat at him.

"Well don't be so hasty darling, for I've been watching you over there my darling and I reckon I've got a solid piece of advice for you" Jasper said as he pulled his cap off.

"And what would that be?" I grimaced as I pulled the rag that had been tied around my arm off.

"Now, now" he smiled, "you gotta play nice if you want my help, you know prove your worth saving and all"

Pulling my gaze from my blatantly infected arm I gazed through my crate into his at him. "Can you actually save me?" I said in a gentle voice.

"Maybe" he said looking more serious.

"How tall are you?" he asked

I blinked at him in surprise, I had never had anything to measure myself with but my father had once said he was 6 foot 9 and I came up to his chest.

"Erm, 5 or 6 foot maybe" I said unsure f myself.

Jasper threw his head back and laughed low and throaty. Indignantly I folded my arms and waited for him to finish.

"There is no chance you are 6 foot, honey" he chuckled. Standing up he motioned for me to stand also. "Well I am 7 foot tall and you look to be around... 5,2 if you're lucky." I had never known I was so small!

"Don't look dismayed my darling for anything more than 5,5 and you would never have been able to make it. See I figure you'd most likely be able to squeeze through one of those gaps in your cell my love; after all they are made for much bigger creatures than yourself. After that you want to swim through the water tunnel out to the dispenser, had you been any taller you would never have fitted around the corners." A grin sneaked out from behind his lips "Aren't I ever so helpful" he said smiling.

* * *

Sooo...what do you think?


	2. Escape

**BPOV**

Jasper had been right and with enough panting and enough attempts I had managed to drag myself through one of the gaps in my crate.

"Now you'd better get going before they find you gone" Jasper said urgently peering towards the other crates to check they were still sleeping.

"How do I get back to the forest" I asked wrapping the rag around my arm again.

"Oh crap yea, you'll never make it through the city with your hair down, it's just not done here." He said reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a large handkerchief and handed it to me; I mean seriously I could have worn the thing as a skirt.

"Well don't just stare at it! Wrap it around your head like a bonnet!" he said getting irate. Gawping like a very unattractive fish I stared with wide eyes at him.

"Wha...what's a erm bonnet?" I questioned falling over my words.

Rolling his eyes dramatically he edged towards the edge of his crate with his hands held up innocently and slowly reached through the holes and took the handkerchief from me and bundled up my hair underneath it and tied it underneath my chin.

"It'll pass, so long as you move quickly." He said.

"Thank you, Jasper" I smiled at him.

"And thank you...errr" he paused looking at me expectantly.

"Bella" I finished his sentence for him.

"Be brave Bella, you're a very small fish in a massive pond out there, head east for the forest" he said handing me a compass from his top pocket." I tucked the compass in the waist band of my cow skin full length skirt.

With a wave, I made my way over to the water hole in the corner that indeed appeared to be attached to an underground tunnel. Ripping the skirt up the side all the way to my thigh, I freed my legs. Stepping down into the water I peered deeper into the tunnel, it was completely full of water and I was going to have to hold my breath the whole way. Turning back to look at Jasper, he gave me a thumbs up.

"You can do it, Bella!" he whisper shouted across the room.

With that I dropped to my knees immersing myself in water and began to pull myself through the narrow tunnel. Just as my lungs felt as though they were about to burst, I turned the final corner and emerged into fresh air. Gasping for oxygen, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the painful brightness of the outside world, but once they did I wished they hadn't I was in a dark corner of an outdoor market and all around me were hundreds of city folk teeming around the stalls.

I quickly stepped out of the water and pulled out the compass, once I found east I tried to merge with the crowd. Everywhere I went I tried to jump in and out between small carriages, horses and giant men. A man grabbed my shoulder "Hey lady, have you lost your carriage?" I pulled away from him and set into a run my heart pounding in my ears.

I could see the line of trees leading to the forest when I heard the loud gonging of a bell and the sound of a horse behind me. Suddenly a high pitched deafening noise came from somewhere and I fell to the ground holding my hands over my ears at the painful noise.

Someone swept me up onto a large horse, holding me around the neck and hardly reacting to my insistence struggle. After a minute or so the person who I now identified as a large male, dropped from the horse and dragged me up some stone steps. Holding me by the waist he lifted me up as a crowd formed around the bottom of the steps. I cringed away from their staring eyes as the man ripped Jaspers handkerchief from my head and tossed it to the ground. I felt my soaked hair fall down around my face and he hit the side of gong several times until the crowd quietened.

"Female Rebel, will anybody take her." The man's voice boomed around me and my head swam from the noise.

The crowd stayed silent.

Somewhere on my right I heard the shuffling of feet and then another voice.

"Hang her"

**EPOV**

"Alice" I said as I put my hand against the curtain of the carriage.

"Yes Edward" she replied.

"Sister, do you need any more fabric for your dressmaking" I asked.

"You are always so kind Edward, I fear you do not long for this world in the same way I do not." She chuckled.

"I shall get you some red and some gold, anything else?" I replied ignoring her as usual.

"Gold buttons would be nice" she replied before I could warn her to stop.

Emmett had rather surprised me and unfortunately from the looks of his face had heard Alice's request.

"How dare you ask for something" he snapped at the curtain "be grateful for what you get"

"Emmett" I tried to stop him but it did no use.

He turned to me, "You are no better brother, you ask her these ridiculous questions of whether she should like something and allowed to come to town with us. All it does is put silly ideas in her head that she should deserve more."

The sound of the court gong sounded throughout the town and people began to walk towards the city hall. "Fantastic" snarled Emmett. "Now all the market stall owners will be vacant and will slow this fucking trip down even more" he grumbled marching away in the opposite direction.

I motioned to the servant boy on top of the horse pulling Alice's carriage to follow me. I made my way to the bottom of the stone steps and peered over the heads of other men and carriages.

Court official Felix stood there holding a woman by her waist in the air.

"Female Rebel, will anybody take her." He called out to the crowd.

Her skirt had wrapped itself around one of her legs and her feet were bloody and cut open. A blood soaked rag hung limply around her arm and wet hung down to her chest covering her efficiently as her shirt had soaked to be almost sheer.

Court Judge Aro stood from his seat at the side and motioned to the crowd, asking for any offers, none were given.

Sighing he motioned Felix to leave his presence "Hang her"

Her eyes grew wide with fear and her hands grasped at the side of Felix's claws which had wrapped around her middle in a feeble attempt to escape. She looked up to the crowd once more and briefly her eyes met mine. I closed my eyes and groaned inwardly at myself, Emmett was going to kill me.

"I'll take her" I announced.

Everyone around me gasped.

Felix who had turned to leave turned back to face me and sneered. "You are too late my lord, the order has been given." The female's eyes met mine and pleaded silently with me.

"I said I would take her" I repeated.

Felix began to protest but Aro spoke above him, "Oh, just give her to him Felix it will save court time."

I walked up the stone steps and Felix dropped her in front of me. "Fine" he snapped.

Taking her wrist I pulled her to her feet and pulled her after me down the steps. She was smaller than I had originally thought, smaller even than Alice.

I reached Alice's Carriage and turned the girl to face me. The servant from the horse passed a wristband down to me. I fastened it around the girl's wrist.

"If you get more than half a mile away from me, this wristband with shock you enough to nearly but not quite kill you. So don't run. If you leave this carriage before I say, or damage my sister in any way I will kill you myself" I leaned into her face "Slowly".

I motioned for her to climb into the carriage, she pulled the curtain aside slightly but before slipping inside she turned to look up at me. "Thank you" she said and then she was gone, inside the carriage leaving me standing there.

Her voice was beautiful and her eyes delicious.

"Hi, I'm Alice" I heard my sister say perkily from inside the carriage.

"Bella" I heard the girl reply gingerly.

* * *

Soooo... Edward has now met Bella :) Yay!


	3. Clothes

**BPOV**

Climbing into the carriage I was faced by a small black haired girl sat cross legged across from me. Her hair pulled up into a complicated twist and fastened on top of her head. "Hi, I'm Alice" she said beaming at me. "Bella" I replied.

Alice passed me one of the thousands of blankets in the carriage and I wrapped it around myself. The carriage was overly luxurious with the floor covered in blankets and cushions everywhere, inside the curtains with overly embroidered with portraits of different events. Peering up at one I recognised the man who had saved me with a stern look on his face.

"I did them myself" Alice beamed across at me.

"They are beautiful" I replied running my fingers over one of a younger looking Alice with the man from outside and another man.

"You'll do your own soon enough" she grinned at me.

"But I don't know how to embroider" I said quietly, ashamed of my lack of knowledge.

"I will teach you" Alice promised.

Looking up at her I was shocked by how ecstatic she seemed to be. "We're going to be best friends" she continued "I just know it"

Alice stood and organised her skirts, her outer skirt fell to the floor and the bottom of the skirt up to around her knees was also heavily embroidered which I had not noticed when she had been seated. My mother had always been embroidering things at home as well and looking at the intricate stitches made me pine for her and wonder if she had followed my father yet.

It made me sad to think that I would not see her again before she passed but as least i had told her i loved her before I left. Alice crouched in front of me and took my hand in hers and I resisted the urge to pull away. She lifted her other hand slowly to my cheek and brushed away a tear that had dribbled down my cheek.

"Don't worry Bella, Edward would not have saved you had he not been planning to take care of you." She said softly.

As Alice sat down again carefully trying not to crease her skirts I let my back rest against the wall of the carriage and my eye droop closed, I may be in danger but I was so tired and at least i was comfortable.

**EPOV**

As we approached home the carriage slowed and I climbed off my house handing it to the servant boy.

"Take her to the stables, I will not need her again today" i said passing him the reins.

Walking behind the carriage as it was steered into the carriage house. It finally stopped and I motioned for the driver to take the horses and leave. Once he was gone I approached the curtain anxious to see her again.

"Alice, Bella, we have arrived and you are feel to leave the carriage now." I said sharply.

Alice poked her head out and climbed out of the carriage.

"Edward, Bella passed out on the way here, i think it's because of the amount of blood she has lost, I bound the wounds as best I could with what she had on her." She said softly laying her hand on my arm.

Alice pulled the curtain from the other side and I was assaulted by unknown feelings again as I took in the sight of Bella with her wet hair wrapped around her face and neck and her knees pulled up to her chest.

Slipping my arms underneath her knees and arms i pulled her to me and lifted her from the carriage. She weighed hardly anything and her chest bones seemed to stick out slightly too far. Following Alice through the gardens with Bella in my arms I realised that her skirt had pulled away from her leg again and from her thigh down was naked. I had never seen a woman so exposed before and as I gazed down at her I felt perverted for taking advantage of her unconscious self but could not bring myself to not feel aroused by it.

Alice glided down the hallway to her room and then opened the door on the right ushering me into one of the spare rooms. Setting her down on the bed, one of the servants appeared at the door with their head cast down.

"Call for the doctor and get a basin of water" I ordered quickly as she scuttled out of the room.

I unlocked the wristband and put it in my pocket, then gently I lifted a piece of stray hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear, marvelling at how soft her skin was and how good it felt under my fingers. Glancing up at Alice, a small smile playing on her lips, I corrected myself standing up straight.

"Get her cleaned up" I said sharply "tomorrow we will deal with where she will stay long term. Perhaps she will provide useful as a servant or a chef or something." I said flippantly as I strode out of the room.

Once i reached my room, i ordered the servants away and sank to the floor behind my door. Rubbing my hand through my hair i groaned inwardly. Why did I save her, i asked myself again. All she will possibly do is cause trouble and Emmett will not be pleased with having another mouth to feed. Slowly i rose to my feet and changed into loose bottoms before slipping into my bed. Drifting in and out of sleep i could not however tear my thoughts from Bella, and nor could I bring myself to regret my decision in saving her.

**BPOV**

I woke as though i were floating in the air. Opening my eyes i found myself in the grandest of beds and on further inspection found myself in the same clothes as yesterday but with fresh, clean bandages bound around my arm and feet. Throwing my legs sideways I carefully took my weigh on my painful feet and hobbled over to a mirror on the far side of the room. My hair had become matted and i looked a mess, lifting up my shirt i found dark purple bruises along my waist where i was held in the air and bruises down the side of my neck, but where they came from was a mystery perhaps something after I collapsed. As I pulled my shirt down a small knock resounded from the door shortly followed by Alice slipping around the door with a big grin on her face.

"Morning" she chirped happily. I thought you might like a bath and i thought you might feel more comfortable with me than a servant she smiled. Dumbfounded I just nodded as she took my hand led me through some double doors into a large tiled room with a hole in the middle.

Standing next to it, I looked at the hole and then at her and then back to the hole. "What do you want me to do?" I asked. Alice's mouth fell open and stared at me.

"You've never had a bath! How do you get clean!" she gasped.

"Erm, I replied rubbing the back of my neck. I used to wash in the river every day?" saying it more as a question than a statement because apparently this was wrong.

Alice just shook her head and turned a metal handle at the top of the hole and water began to flow from a hole under the handle into the hole. Then she helped me get undressed pulling my skirt down and then inching the shirt over my head as slowly as possible so as not to hurt me. She turned the water off and then unbound the bandages on my feet. Amazed i stared at them, they were completely fine! Not a scratch on them! Yet they hurt so much!

"we have quick heal balm in the city, it heals the skin on the outside quickly but the layers under the surface take longer to heal so you will still feel some discomfort" She took my hand and helped me climb into the water. It was so warm, it was as though i were in a cooking pot or something. Alice stripped off beside me and climbed in next to me.

"no point in wasting the water" she commented "it'll be hours before it's heated up again"

I couldn't say that it particularly bothered me as the hole... i mean bath was more than large enough for 3 or 4 people at least! Alice handed me soap, this was something i recognised and I began to clean myself as Alice squirted something into her hands.

"This is to clean your hair with" she commented coming up behind me and rubbing it through my hair and massaging my scalp, god it felt good!

Once we were both clean we climbed out of the water and Alice had got dressed she wrapped me in a towel and led me through to my room again.

"we really must get you dressed properly" she commented as a servant girl scuttled through the room and into the 'bathroom' as Alice calls it. From the wooden chest she pulled a simple white dress that she helped me pull over my head. I hobbled over to the mirror and began to thank her but before i could Alice had begun to pull out more and more clothes from the chest, bemused I hobbled back to her and she started to talk me through them all.

This is a corset, underskirt, hoop skirt. Etc etc etc every time she told me what something was she seemed to put it on me covering me in more and more clothes until i was hotter than i had been in the bath! Finally she pulled some strings at the back of me and my boobs shot up nearly out of the top dress i had on and my waist became constricted to the point where not only did my bruises ache but i struggled to catch my breath.

Letting the bottom of my dress drop over the strings i tried to get hold of them but there was too much fabric on top of them. Alice saw me clawing at the dress but she just began to laugh.

"You'll get used to it" she laughed as a sharp knock came at the door.

* * *

Hope you're all enjoying the story :)


	4. Terror

**BPOV**

"come in" she chirped happily sitting at a little table with a mirror and began to tie her hair into knots.

That's when Edward as Alice called him opened the door and my heart stopped beating all together. He was by far the most attractive man i had ever seen if he could just wipe that sour milk look off of his face. For a moment i'm sure i made up he stared at me, eyes wipe, mouth lightly open, hand still n the door knob and then real life happened and he came to his senses and snapped at Alice.

"Why is she dressed like that" he snapped motioning at me.

Alice seemed less that phased as she finished her hair. "I've decided i want her as one of my ladies in waiting"

"Why?" asked Edward abruptly "you already have a lady in waiting assigned by Emmett"

"Yes" Alice replied slowly like Edward was being the stupidest person alive "but she is boring and i don't like her, I like Bella"

Sighing he seemed to give up "Fine, Breakfast is being served now, so I would hurry up if I were you" he said as he made for the door.

Alice began to walk towards the chest again "Bella, we have to find you a bonnet that suits you, you need to try on all the green and white ones that will match your dress to see which one suits your features the best." My head snapped up to Edward as he paused in the doorway and for the first time since i had met him his expression changed and for a moment i caught a glance at the most beautiful lop sided smile just before he closed the door.

"I like this one the best" I head Alice comment but my mind was still held up on that heart breaking delicious smile.

**EPOV**

"Bella, we have to find you a bonnet that suits you, you need to try on all the green and white ones that will match your dress to see which one suits your features the best."

Bella's head snapped up as Alice's comment, a look of pure horror flicking across her face at the prospect of becoming Alice's doll and as i closed the door i felt a light chuckle escape myself and i paused for a moment outside the room before i began to make my way for the dinner hall.

That girl was going to be the death of me, why does she have to be so appealing, so soft and smell so good... as i reached the dinner hall i had to drag myself from my thoughts and readjust myself before pushing the door open and dropping into my usual place.

Emmett sat at the head of the table with James his business partner sat next to him as they discussed politics. Rosalie, Emmett's wife sat to his other side and gave me a small smile before continuing to gaze into space in silence as usual. Moments later Alice bustled into the room with Bella on her tail and sat beside me while Bella took her place across the room by the wall, ready and waiting in case Alice should need something. I watched as Emmett turned to look at Bella and James undressed her with his eyes making my blood boil.

"Who is this Alice" snapped Emmett "And, why are you late"

"This is my new lady in waiting dear brother" she replied calmly keeping her eyes fixed on the plate in front of her.

"YOU'RE NEW LADY IN WAITING" Emmett exploded as he shot up from the table "WHO ARE YOU TO GO EMPLOYING NEW STAFF" Emmett stormed around the table to Alice and began to scream at her as Alice continued to stare at the plate, head bowed.

Placing a hand on my brother's shoulder his head shot up to stare at me.

"it was not Alice who employed her, it was myself, and I have more than enough knowledge to know what will make a good lady in waiting." I said calmly to him. Emmett stiffened and then visibly relaxed again as he accepted it. "Fine" he grumbled trudging back to his seat.

Glancing up, I saw that Bella had backed up so that she was flush against the wall, had her eyes clenched closed and tears escaped down the sides of her face. Shaking my head i realised she probably wasn't used to the size nor the aggressiveness of our culture.

Once we had eaten we all departed the dinner hall into our different destinations as I headed down the hallway away from them I could hear Bella and Alice beginning to chatter already, this pleased me, it was time Alice had a friend.

**BPOV**

Sitting on the edge of my bed I played with my fingers nervously in my lap. "Alice?" I said softy.

"Yes" she replied from the bathroom

"When I was captured, the men were much larger than Edward and Emmett and their claws were much longer, not to mention the collection of tattoos they had collected, yet Edward and Emmett don't seem to have any." I didn't really know what i was asking so i was silently praying that i wasn't about to offend her family and have to face the rage of Emmett.

Alice chuckled from the Bathroom. "Bella those men are hunter males, the city employs them because they are so much bigger and able to collect more food in a hunt than the average man. The tattoo's symbolise their individual talents for hunting. They are less likely to be born than one of our species so you don't see very many of them that don't do the cities work."

Alice bustled into the room sporting a bonnet and carrying a book.

"I saw you admiring this at breakfast" she said handing me a copy of Jane Eyre. "I have to travel to see the head of marriage association today, I'll be home in a few hours" she said as she bustled out of the room.

Taking Jane Eyre i climbed up onto the large window seat and looked down as Alice's carriage pulled away from the house followed by Emmett on his horse. Once they were out of sight, I sat back on the seat and began to read, after an hour or two had passed I heard sharp knock at the door.

"come in" I said softly

I heard the door squeak open and as I raised my eyes to greet the person who had come I was met with the sight of James who had been at the breakfast table only metres away stalking towards me.

Grabbing hold of my arm he lifted me from the window seat and began to carry me across the room. I struggled against his arms but it seemed to make no difference t him.

"please" I cried "let me go" as he dumped me onto my bed. I scooted across the bed away from him but before i could get any further he grabbed hold of my foot and pulled me back. Drawing a pen knife out of his pocket he came towards me, and a strangled cry of fear came out of me. My body stiffened and i clenched my eyes closed. I felt i slight tugging at myself and then it disappeared and when i opened my eyes i realised why. He hadn't planned to cut me with the knife only remove my clothing as a large tar all down the fron o my dress now exposed me.

Tugging the two halves together, I watched as he unbuckled his own belt, what shocked me the most was how calmly he went about it, how easily he seemed to ignore the tears streaming down my face.

"please" I begged again trying to pull out of his grip "I don't know why you're doing this, i havn't done anything wrong." Dropping his trousers he climbed onto the bed towards me and i kicked him in the chest but it didn't even cause him to flinch. As he reached me fear shot through me as he forced his mouth onto mine and he began to grope one of my breasts. As he pulled away from my mouth i let out a ragged sob and tried helplessly to push away from him again.

I watched as he pulled himself closer to me and I squeezed my eyes closed waiting for the inevitable.

* * *

Oh no! Let me know your thoughts :)


	5. How life is

**EPOV**

Sat in my bed chamber I sank my head into my hands, I don't understand these feelings for Bella, it was like something i have never experienced before. Pacing up and down I argued with myself not to go, but my worst side won and soon i found myself striding down the hallway towards her room, as i drew closer i could hear noise coming from her room and as I reached her door the sobbing of Bella.

Pushing the ajar door open slightly further, rage hit me as my eyes took in the treacherous sight in front of me. Bella's dress was ripped open and tears fell from her clenched eyes as James held her arms above her head and hovered over her body. Before i could stop myself I had ripped James off of Bella and he lay somewhat confused looking on the floor beside the bed. The next second he had lunged at me and dragged me to the ground as we struggled against each other, after a few successful punches to his face he finally overpowered me and pinned me down with his knees on my chest as he beat me.

Somewhere away from our struggle I heard the weeping of Bella in the background and then the slight let up in James's punches as she brought a lamp down hard on the back of his head causing it to shatter. James flew in a fit of anger off of me and backhanded her across the face causing her to fly across the room.

Then the strangest thing of all so far happened. I had wondered what it was as I had felt it build from the moment i walked into the room but as i watched in slow motion as Bella's small body hit the wall and she crumpled to the ground it escaped me. My Jaw unhinged allowing me to stretch my mouth further and a deep thick roar pronounced it's arrival as the i snarled and spat at James savagely. As adrenalin pushed it's way through my body i launched myself at him, tackling him to the ground in the process, then I leant down and ripped out his jugular with my teeth. For a second his eyes went wild and then his body stilled and he died on the carpet underneath me.

Standing up off James I ripped one of the curtains off the four poster bed as I made my way over to Bella, once i checked her pulse and she was still alive, I wrapped her up in one of the curtains. I carried her into Alice's room and asked the servants to fetch a doctor and also to clean up the mess left in Bella's room. I found myself left alone with Bella for the first time and gently I placed a kiss on her forehead before I left the room.

**BPOV**

When i woke up my head hurt so much and it took me a few moments to work out i was in Alice's room and the reason why. Sitting up straight in Alice's bed I glanced at the clock and found that it was 3am, a good 12 hours since the struggle had happened. Beside me something moved slightly and lifting the cover i found Alice curled up underneath fast asleep.

Swinging my legs out of the bed I stood, my head swayed and i nearly fell again but i caught myself on one of the bed posts. I unwrapped the strange piece of material from around me and after shedding the remains of the once beautiful dress I searched through Alice's dresser until I found a simple white dress similar to the one that went under all of the other dresses.

Slipping out of her room, I went into my own but a large dark stain in the middle of the room made panic surge through me. That much blood means there was likely a close death, or an actual death. But who was the main question. Running back through to Alice's room I shook her awake, sitting up bleary eyed she gazed at me looking confused and then sense seemed to come to her and she wrapped her arms around me quickly pulling me on top of her.

"I'm so sorry Bella" she wept "I..I thought you knew...I didn't think you'd let anybody into the room...You should have kept it locked"

Pulling myself away from her I gazed down at her. "Who was hurt Alice, why is there blood in my room" i said trying to shake some sense into her desperately.

Alice's face seemed to contort into a different expression that i wasn't sure what was meant by it.

"Edward killed James for you Bella" she whispered "He roared...well that's what all the servants are saying!"

"He roared?" I questioned.

Taking my hands in hers she stared up at me and covered her mouth as she gasped. "Oh my goodness Bella, you don't know anything about us do you!"

"I don't know anything about what Alice" i said getting exasperated.

"The men here are born to only have self preservation, they can't physically bring themselves to care about anything but themselves, but because we are born so defenceless in comparison to them it is law that they must care for their family until all females are married and marry before the age of 25 or they will be found a wife to marry." She explained.

"How does this have any relevance Alice" I said pushing for more information on the system that made my parents flee the city.

"Well when two people marry they bind their souls together, meaning that when one dies the other is soon to follow. This means that the male must now care for his wife, as when she dies so will he. The protective nature that comes with marriage means that if the female is put into danger, he will act on base instinct which can include the warning roar that comes before they attack." She grinned at me.

"But I'm not married to Edward" i said thinking i must have missed part of the explanation.

"Exactly" beamed Alice "Men do not care for Females and until a Female is married she is free to be used by any man in any way, even the night before the wedding the groom will not care if another male mates with his future wife to me, nor will he care if another man beats her. This means that Edward should not have cared that James had planned to rape you, it should have caused him no consequence, any other male would either have joined in, or simply walked away. But Edward did care; he put himself up against a powerful hunter to keep you safe."

"What does that mean though, for me now." I asked getting more confused by the second.

"I have no idea Bella, but Edward has always been different. You need to go talk to him before news spreads to Emmett about James's death" Alice said and then before i could say anything else she lay back down and motioned towards the door. "Down the hall, turn right, last door on the left." She said before pulling the cover over her head.

* * *

Ooooh, exciting! How will Edward react to her turning up in the middle of the night though :S


End file.
